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You Search For Patents Using Advanced Methods And Provides Hyper Links
To The Patent Office And Google Patents

GECO
SocketsNEW
-This section will allow you to date
and learn how to tell one GECO socket from the other.
HubbellThis is where this site started from. Since this page
was done, there has been much more Hubbell history and information
found which will make for a complete redesign of this page and section
in the soon future.Hubbell PatentsThis section has some early patent research on Hubbell.
It is mostly complete with only a few missing patents which will be
added in when this section is re done into the new formatWheeler Reflector
Co.NEW - A history of The
Wheeler Reflector Company and tips on how to tell if mirror has been
replaced on a shade
Other ManufacturersThis section is a lot of incomplete
work and will be updated shortly. For now it serves to give you some
extended information on some companies, but will be a much better
tool when it is completeNEC
This section is everything you ever wanted to know about the National
Electrical Code (NEC) but had no one to ask. Downloads of old NEC's,
meetings and much extended information is provided.

Cord
BallsMy cord pendant adjuster project, as well as a good
history about them.

POST 1900 SECTION

About
1900 StylesThis section covers a basic into into the 1900 section
covering information about the 1899 transition, electrical code
changes, lighting influence, sharing and licensing of patents and
then into the new section of electrical specialty manufacturers,
Electrical Specialty ManufacturersHarvey
HubbellThis section covers some early history periods of
pre Hubbell-Grier, Hubbell-Grier, Harvey Hubbell, Hubbell Company.
It also covers a number of items that helped change lighting styles,

BenjaminThis section covers some early history periods for
the Benjamin Electric MFG. Co, as well as a small section on Dale
and The Federal Electric CompanyDaleFederal
Electric

This post 1900 section continues to be under current
construction

Please Check Back.

| Back to Brush

Next to Crown |

BRYANT

How
To ID A Pre-1900 Bryant Socket

Catalogs
and Switch Terms

In the early
Bryant catalogs there are terms used for their socket switches.
These terms are "Bryant No. 1 Key Socket" and "Bryant
No. 2 Key Socket".
The term first started being used in the 1895 catalog when the duck
bill switch (shown below) made its first appearance on a Westinghouse
base socket and called the BRYANT "NO. 2" KEY SOCKET.
So, in the 1895 catalog we have TWO Westinghouse base turnkey sockets
-- offered as "NO. 1" and "NO. 2" which are
one each of the patent design switch and the duck bill switch.

This new Westinghouse base socket was the first socket picturing
a duck bill switch. Previously all catalog pictures were using the
first patent design of the switch.
By the time of the 1899 catalog the duck bill option was passed
on the the Thomson-Houston base sockets and termed as NO. 1 and
NO. 2 as well as a Brush-Swan base termed as NO. 2. However because
of the contact rings used and examples of these sockets on hand,
we know that the T-H base NO. 2 switch started being sold in 1897.

So what does all of this mean? Bryant had two socket switches, the
patent design switch shown below and hereafter referred to as Switch
NO. 1 and the duck bill design shown directly below and hereafter
referred to as Switch NO. 2.

The
BRYANT NO. 2 Switch Contact

NON-BRYANT Y SHAPED BENT TAB
As shown above, almost all of these post 1895 Bryant porcelain
switches use this duck bill type switch mechanism. When the
key is turned, the bottom contact is forced upward (as shown
above) and makes contact with the terminal. There are no patents
found as of yet in any Bryant catalog or elsewhere for this
switch. It is clear that Bryant started using it around 1895,
but it is also clear that another unknown company was also
manufacturing sockets of this design. This mystery company
is known to use this Y shaped tab on some T-H based sockets
as well as Edison based sockets of which Bryant did not sell
at this time. It is also easy to tell the difference between
a Bryant porcelain switch and another manufacturer by the
socket shell. Bryant used a non-standard shell for their porcelain
sockets. To see how to tell the difference between a Bryant
short ornate shell, see the non-standard
shell type section.

The
BRYANT NO. 1 Switch Contact

The
only exception is shown to your right and is less common
though it is found in Bryant catalogs from 1895 through
1901.

This method of making contact is simple and to the point.
When you turn the key, the key post makes contact with the
tab and completes the connection. The post itself is the
conductor, unlike the switches shown above that use the
post to force the tab against a terminal to complete the
connection.

This is also the contact method that was used in the original
1890 Bryant patent. Because of this, it will be the same
type contact method used on the older pre-1891 (brick red)
vulcanized fiber switches. An example of this is shown on
the switch to your left (broken down for better viewing).

The
Key Handle

The
Bryant Patent Date Stamped On The Shell

The
Contact Rings (T-H Base Sockets Only)

The
black handle (shown above) started being used with porcelain
switches around 1891. The 1895 Bryant catalog shows that handles
still did NOT have the Bryant name stamped on them. The 1897
Western Electric catalog still shows the unmarked handle,
while the 1898 Western Electric catalog starts showing some
of the handles stamped with the Bryant name on them. This
provides us with the date of 1898 as the start of the transition
period for this new variant. The last Bryant catalog using
these type switches was the 1901 Bryant catalog.

Both
the long and ornate shell designs were offered from 1890 until
1901. Some had the Bryant name and patent date stamped on
them and others did not. There does not seem to be any pattern
as to why. The new 1899 electrical code stated that the company
name and power ratings needed to be stamped on the socket
shell. Since these sockets were in the 1901 catalog, it is
assumed that these were grandfathered overstock. However,
if we are wrong, there will be signed Bryant shells of this
type with power ratings on them. If you see one, please contact
us.

The
round contact ring shown above (after 1894) will always use
two screws to hold them in place on the T-H porcelain switches.
(note that pre-1896 porcelain and fiber switches uses two rivet
posts) The 1895 Bryant catalog still shows ONLY the round contact
ring. In an 1897 Western Electric catalog we find Bryant switches
being shown with both the round and the oval contact ring. This
shows us the transition period for this new variant, as well
as providing us with the date of 1897 as the beginning of it.
The oval ring and this type socket, is last seen in the 1901
Bryant catalog.

1891
Bryant Westinghouse Socket

1891
Bryant Westinghouse As Shown The Catalog

1891
Bryant Westinghouse Patent

The
Bryant Westinghouse base socket was first patent applied for
March 9 1891, which also provides us with the date of the first
documented use of porcelain in Bryant socket switches. The patent
(no. 457,072) was approved on August 4 1891. The Bryant Westinghouse
design is unique in that there is only one single contact prong
to hold the Westinghouse style bulb. Other NON-Bryant sockets
use two prongs as a standard, which clamp around the center
contact pin on the Westinghouse bulb base. With this single
prong design, makes it easy to ID a Bryant Westinghouse base
socket.

Note that Bryant patented their two prong design in May of 1893
Pat. No. 502,655 which was used on newer bases around that time.
However there may had been a lot of overstock as the Bryant
catalogs show these older switches still using the single prong
design for many years later.

BRYANT
NON-STANDARD SHELL DESIGNS

1892
Bryant Catalog

Shell
Examples

When
it comes to these short ornate shells, virtually all other socket
manufacturers placed their cap holes in the same place making it a
standard. Even though Bryant used the standard offset holes in their
fiber switch shell, when the porcelain version came out their design
changed which made their shells different from other manufacturers.

Note Many manufacturers of the long skinny shells placed the holes
straight across. These were mostly those that used the Westinghouse
Lang patent straps in the cap.

Bryant
Socket Patents

Socket
Patent Example No.1 (Red Fiber Switch)

Shell
And Socket Picture

Switch
& Tab (broken down for viewing)

Top
View

An
Inside View Of The Bryant Switch Key

The
Bryant fiber switch shown in this section was their first socket and
started being sold close to their patent applied date of July 14 1890.
As seen in the catalog picture on your right, It was still seen and
being sold in the 1892 Bryant catalog (likely overstock). By the time
of the 1895 Bryant catalog the fiber version it is no longer being
sold and only shows the porcelain switches (round contact ring).

Notice the red fiber switch with the round contact ring as shown on
your left.
The ring is held by a rivet/hammered method and is not removable without
breaking the fiber. Other manufacturers used screws to hold their
contact ring.
The tab shown in the picture on the left (held by one tiny screw)
is only used to help hold the switch in place when it is turned into
the on and off positions and is not needed for any electrical contacts.

I note this because this tab is normally the first and only part likely
missing on aged switches in poor condition.

Socket
Patent Example No.2 (Westinghouse Single Center Prong Contact)

Shell
And Socket Picture

Bryant
No. 1 Switch

Top
View

Single
Center Prong Contact

Socket
Patent Example No.3 (Westinghouse Base Dual Prong)

Bryant
applied for their two prong patent design in May of 1893 Pat.
No. 502,655 (shown above) which was used on newer bases around
that time. However there may had been a lot of overstock as
the single prong design is still shown being offered in the
1895 Bryant catalog on this No. 2 Bryant socket.

In an 1897 Western Electric catalog we find Bryant switches
being shown with both the round and the oval contact ring.
This shows us the transition period for this new variant,
as well as providing us with the date of 1897 as the beginning
of it. The oval ring and this type socket, is last seen in
the 1901 Bryant catalog.

Note that this is a Bryant No. 1 switch. If this socket had
the round contact ring, the date range would be from 1890
to 1897.